Todd Gloria for mayor

Now, because of predation, numbers less than 6,000. Elk calf survival rate at 1 percent.

We’ve long since crossed the tipping point for many populations of elk, moose and deer.

Introducing wolves to California is a topic for another day.

William “Skip” Dodge

El Cajon

What’s phony are the White House scandals

What happened in Benghazi was truly a tragedy, and President Obama has spoken to that.

Fox News is now trying to spin President Obama’s recent reference to “phony scandals” to mean he’s calling the tragedy of Benghazi phony. For him to do that, he would have to be not only incredibly insensitive, but also felony stupid. He has shown he is neither.

Instead, it should be obvious to all but the oblivious that the president was referring to the continuing efforts of Rep. Darrell Issa, Fox, and their ilk to frame every government miscue as a scandal leading right to the Oval Office.

That’s the phony he is referring to, and he’s spot on.

John H. Terrell

Fallbrook

Obama is like a helicopter parent

Dana Milbank makes some great points about how little has changed is the second term of President Obama (“Obama in rerun mode in talks on economy,” July 27). I have always felt like Mr. Obama has a “critical parent” complex. He thinks of voters as his children.

In his recent speech at Knox College, he touched on all of the fears (job and retirement security, women’s rights, healthcare, etc.) of his children, assuring them that he is at their side. He restated the same issues he has run on since day one.

Obama’s style is to swoop in whenever his children feel challenged or uncomfortable, promising to protect them and beating back the forces of fear with his soothing assurance that he can bring reasoned people (except those mean and extreme Republicans) to a consensus, and we will all be OK. Unfortunately, like most “helicopter parents,” Obama’s ever-present interference and controlling behavior often has the reverse effect, creating more issues than solutions, and leaving his children (the voters) with a sense of manipulation and claustrophobia.

In the meantime, his helicopter administration continues to hover overhead, injecting itself into every aspect of our private and business lives. While recent headlines frighten us to learn we are being watched more closely than ever through high-tech surveillance, IRS harassment and digital data collection.

Here’s a new label for Obama: the ‘Helicopter President.’

Rick Elkin

Escondido

Napolitano could do well as UC chief

The piece “Napolitano’s makeover” (Op-ed, July 21) by Ruben Navarrette on the appointment of Napolitano as president of the UC system is seen through the narrow lens of old animosities toward Napolitano and a narrow view of what is the greater good for the undocumented, the state and the nation, fully realizing the pressing need for immigration reform.

The piece questions appropriateness of her appointment as head of the UC system because of her policies toward undocumented immigrants when governor of Arizona and then as Homeland Security secretary.